Canada says two soldiers killed in Afghanistan

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Oct 4 (Reuters) Two Canadian soldiers were killed and five wounded when they were attacked by insurgents in Afghanistan, the military said.

The soldiers came under fire from mortars, rocket propelled grenades and small arms while helping to clear explosives from an area planned for road construction about 20 km west of Kandahar City, the Department of National Defense.

The injuries of the wounded soldiers were considered non-life threatening, the military said yesterday.

Thirty-nine members of the Canadian Armed Forces have been killed in Afghanistan since late 2001. Canada, which is part of the NATO-lead force in Afghanistan, has 2,300 soldiers based in Kandahar.

Reuters SBA VP0600